Across the country, states desperate to prevent opioid addiction are increasingly looking to medical cannabis as a solution. Lawmakers in several states, including New York, Indiana, Georgia and Tennessee, have taken action to initiate or expand their medical marijuana programs to try and address the opioid crisis. Illinois is trying to do the same.

Across the country, states desperate to prevent opioid addiction are considering medical cannabis as a solution. In Illinois, where opioids have claimed nearly 11,000 lives over the past decade, the legislature may soon consider a measure that would allow patients with an opioid prescription get access to marijuana instead.

The pilot program currently has about 6,000 patients, not close to what advocates were hoping for at this point.  They say there are number of reasons behind that - including the application process, and the state's failure to expand the list of qualifying conditions.  Without legislative action, it will expire in January 2018. 

State Rep. Lou Lang (D-Skokie) said while Illinois' Public Health Department should have met its deadline to include 11 more qualifying conditions into the medical cannabis program, he said it could still be done quickly by emergency rule.